Tom Of Finland To Premiere At Göteborg Film Festival

Dome Karukoski’s Tom Of Finland, which tells the story of Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, will open the 2017 Göteborg Film Festival on January 27th with its world premiere.

Laaksonen returned home to Helsinki a hero after an eventful military service during World War II. However, peacetime was no less distressing for him as he was persecuted for his homosexuality, forced to have secret affairs and pressured into marrying a woman.

He went on to discover liberation in his art, specialising in homoerotic drawings of muscular men in provocative poses, and developed a worldwide following that fanned the flames of gay revolution in the US.

The festival’s artistic director, Jonas Holmberg, said: “We are very proud to show Tom of Finland as the opening film. It is a beautiful, intelligent and deeply moving portrayal of a fascinating life story and a unique artist.”

Tom Of Finland receives its theatrical release on 24th February in Finland, and 3rd March in Sweden.